


Unsinkable

by lokifiction



Category: Loki (Marvel) - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Historical AU, Titanic AU, pre-thor 1 so loki is still just a relatively uncorrupted mischievous prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-23 11:58:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11401956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokifiction/pseuds/lokifiction
Summary: A temporarily exiled god. A young woman with insatiable wanderlust. By chance they met, but when it became clear to them that their love was meant to be, they took matters into their own hands. Their story became an ocean-borne fairytale, until inescapable ghosts from the past and a certain iceberg threaten to ruin everything.





	1. April 7th, 1912

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to let you all know that I didn’t intend for this to be a remake of the film Titianic with my own characters, merely a story that takes place in the same setting, but as I’ve been going on in the process I have noticed a few accidental similarities between the two. Those are not intentional, so I hope you’re not put off by them.
> 
> Also, I wanted to inform you that this fic takes place pre-Thor 1 era to give you a visual as to what Loki would look like and explain why he still claims Odinson as his surname, as well as a few other things that will occur later on in the story.
> 
> I feel the need to explain before we begin that I know that Camryn isn’t an unusual name, but since this story takes place in 1912 and my research shows that no version of it as a first name for females appeared until decades later, I wanted to find a way to make it as realistic as possible, which will clear up a comment that comes along in this part.

After an unfortunate accident involving a prank gone wrong, Loki was banished from Asgard and marooned on Midgard. It was, however, no large ordeal, for this happened quite frequently, with the Allfather being completely oblivious on how to punish, or even teach, his sons. Loki still retained every one of his powers and immortal benefits and would be returning home in a turn of the moon, so it was hardly a punishment at all, but rather an opportunity for the curious prince to learn new things. Even though they were looked down upon, Loki hungered for knowledge of any species, and the mortals were no exception. Upon these pretenses, Loki expected to spend his time in petty exile immersing himself in the culture of Midgard, discovering queer, amusing habits of humans, not a woman that would completely enthrall him in a single glance and render him utterly at her mercy for the time he knew her.

He had settled by the window of his room in the housing he chose to bide his time in, that being the finest hotel in all of London, for a relaxing cigarette, a strange habit that he found quite enjoyable, and perhaps the daily newspaper. However, his light was forgotten, nearly burning through his trousers, when she stepped out of the sleek black car with all the grace of an immortal. The garnet red of her travel suit was sharp on the eyes against the drear that Loki was beginning to realize was quite characteristic of that area of Earth, and she appeared a drop of blood on fresh snow.

She directed her driver on the transport of her bags with a delicate yet lengthy hand gloved in clearly expensive lace, lightly holding a folded parasol in the other. A matching set of pearls lightly shimmered on her graceful, swan-like neck and slender wrists, and a wide-brimmed hat frustratingly shielded her face, but Loki was almost sure he was completely infatuated with this woman even after only seeing her razor-slim figure and uncannily regal mannerisms.

Eventually, as if she sensed him looking, she tilted her chin back and peered towards the upper windows, seeming to stare right at him. Her skin was so pale she appeared to glow, and the way her features were sharp yet unbelievably soft at the same time made her resemble portraits of historic queens of Alfheim. Even though it was clear by the way her impossibly dark eyes moved from side to side that she had not spotted Loki, the way her full, red lips- quite a rebellious shade, as Loki had learned cosmetics were reserved for unvirtuous members of society- curled into a smile made him tempted to believe otherwise.

When she averted her eyes, with movements as subtle and soundless as he could manage, Loki opened his window the tiniest smidge. Over the bustle of the city he heard her voice, rich and clear, with a queer accent that was both naïve and authoritative all at the same time.

“That’ll be all, Travis,” she instructed, handing the footman a few bills, quite a hearty tip. “I’ll be alright from here.”

“Are you sure, Miss Potts?” Even Travis seemed bewitched by her beauty. “I want you to be safe, and you’re making this journey all on your own.”

“I’ve handled myself quite well so far, dear man. I will continue to do so.” She leaned down and kissed the driver on top of his capped head. “And if Daddy asks, tell him that I said your service was superb, and I’ve never felt safer.”

“I will, Miss Potts, and I hope to see you again soon. I will sorely miss you when you’re gone.” Travis tipped his cap, a blush creeping all the way up to the top of his bald head.

“What is your objection to come visit me?” She blew him another kiss, then disappeared into the hotel.

Suddenly intrigued, Loki pulled the unused cigarette from between his lips and discarded it. He had originally planned on indulging the room service for his supper, but this new arrival compelled him to attend the hotel’s formal dinner. Raising himself from his perch, he stepped over to his suitcase and rooted around for a fresh suit, more excited by the prospect than he was wont to admit.

Meanwhile, Camryn Potts was being shown to her lodgings by yet another enchanted serviceman. When all her bags had been put away and she handed out yet another generous tip, the young man’s cheeks went impossibly ruddy and he backed out of the room with a stream of unintelligible phrases. The girl smiled after him, chuckling to herself whilst setting aside her parasol and hat, collapsing down on the freshly made bed in exhaustion. She eagerly loosened the buttons of her travel coat and pulled it off her spidery arms with as much haste as she could manage, for the luxurious garment seemed to be weighted down with each of the miles she had passed that day.

After lounging in silence for a few moments, she glanced to the clock on the dresser and discovered that there was another hour and a half until dinner was to be served. She decided that it was time enough for a bath and change of clothes. As she stood to ready the tub, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, smirking at the memory of the gapes and stares she received due to the matte red hue on her lips, subtle but effective. Always having been an odd girl who did nothing to help her standing out with her innovative and, at times, rebellious personal style, never wanting to conform with what anyone told her to do, she had been relentlessly self-conscious of the stares she received as a child, but had embraced them and given people even more cause to do so in womanhood.

After removing her jewelry and stripping herself bare, Camryn stepped into the bathroom and slid into the steaming water with a contented sigh. She loved dismal weather, but one thing she loved even more was the feeling of peeling off wet clothing and sinking into a hot bath. She sat still as stone for a time, letting her bones warm, then reached over to retrieve her worn book so that she might enjoy a quick chapter or two. She took her baths this way quite often; with no apparent purpose but to relax.

When she finally managed to pull herself from the small paradise, Camryn noticed that the rain had stopped and that shy fingers of sunlight were reaching towards her from between the sheer white curtains framing the window. She was momentarily disappointed, for the constant rain was one of the reasons why she loved London, but cheered when she remembered that the change of weather warranted dinner be served on the terrace in the courtyard. With a renewed spring in her step, she pulled on an appropriate dress and descended from her quarters.

Loki followed soon thereafter, waiting as long as he could force himself. After changing, he paced about his room fretfully, thinking over his decision and wondering if he should really present himself to this ethereal woman. He concluded that if he did not introduce himself as he planned, he would do it spontaneously and likely make a fool of himself, so he might as well remain committed to his mental blueprint. He readied himself to step down to the dining room but realized he still had three-quarters of an hour until the meal was to be served, so he was left to worry in his room. He tried to return to his newspaper, but words turned to blurs in his eyes. He considered attempting to have his cigarette once more, but wondered if this Miss Potts would truly enjoy meeting a man that smelt of a chimney. In fact, he wound himself so tightly in his own anxiety that he realized he was fifteen minutes late when he cast a glance at the clock. Hurrying to remedy his mistake, he almost sprinted down the steps into the courtyard, but steadied and reminded himself that his famous title was Silvertongue, and he must keep up appearances.

Instinctively reaching up to make sure his hair remained in place and that his waistcoat was straight, the disguised god sauntered into the terrace, forcing himself to walk with his usual graceful swagger. It did not take him long to spot the woman, for she was seated at a table directly in the center of the courtyard, querying about the menu with the waiter peering over her sharply-sloping shoulder. She had changed into a simple yet no less luxurious garment of a deep, bright blue which complemented those very tones in her skin, and the last vibrant rays of the waning sunlight were shining directly on her as if putting a spotlight over her form. She was hatless, allowing Loki to see her hair, knotted loosely at the nape of her neck, which appeared a rich coppery auburn in the sunlight, but was, in fact, a deep coffee-brown under normal circumstances.

“Shall I show you to your table, sir?” The maître d’ spoke in his ear, startling Loki from his reverie.

“Actually,” he began, “would it be possible for me to join that woman tonight?” He pointed out the girl, who was sending the waiter off with a laughing, openmouthed smile.  
“Miss Potts?” The maître raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that could be arranged.”

As the waiters pulled up an extra chair and Loki took his seat, he earned envious glares from all men around him, even those present with women who appeared to be their wives. Miss Potts had a different reaction, glancing up as if returning from a dream world and questioning him silently for a moment before picking up her wine glass and eyeing him coyly under arching brows, inviting him to speak first. Her eyes appeared the same coppery color as her hair in the lighting, as well.

“Might I join you?” Loki eventually questioned, accepting his own menu without even casting a glance towards the server.

“Well,” Miss Potts cleared her throat, “seeing as you already have, it appears I have not much choice in the matter.” A few strands of hair had popped free from her chignon and framed her face in a halo of wispy ringlets, giving her an impish, almost cherubic, look.

“Of course you do.” Loki grinned widely in his perfected way that oft made him the more popular prince among women, as opposed to his burly brother. “If you wish for me to leave, simply say the word and I shall return to my own table.”

Camryn hummed to herself, continuing to study him over her wine glass, which she had not moved since she picked it up. This mystery man was quite possibly the most attractive she had ever laid eyes on, his emerald eyes seeming to bore straight through her. She suddenly wondered how his sharp cheekbones would feel under her fingers, what his slicked onyx hair would look like loose about his aristocratic face, and how those perfectly pink lips would feel against her own.

“No,” she declared, taking a sip at last. “You seem interesting. I will let you stay.”

“Then I suppose introductions are in order.” Loki extended his hand and Camryn clasped it over the table, his fingers strangely cold in her palm, hers unnaturally warm in his. “Loki Odinson.”

“Camryn Potts,” she replied in turn, giving their linked hands a firm shake before letting go.

“An interesting name,” Loki commented. He had grasped the concept of Midgardian names, but her first still seemed very modern and unusual to his ears. “I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

“I could say the same thing about yours!” She gasped as if offended. “However, mine has a story attached to it. I was conceived in Scotland during an extensive business trip in which my mother accompanied my father. Over that trip, my mother found out that she had Scottish lineage and relatives in the area, with the surname Cameron. To honor that, they named me after the family, but altered the spelling so that it was a bit more feminine. But, while my name is innovative and modern as my family is, thus the reason for it, yours seems quite ancient, as if it’s withstood the impossible test of time and will continue to do so.”

“That is close to accurate, Miss Potts,” Loki teased, earning a short, jovial laugh from her. “I’ve never heard anything like your accent before, either. You’re not from London, are you?”

The girl scoffed, but a smile remained tattooed on her lips. “Are we simply going to sit here and point out everything about me that’s queer?” She chuckled. “But I’m from New York. Born and bred.”

“What brings you abroad, then?” Loki was grateful when the servers brought him his own wine, for he finally had a prop to occupy his hands so he no longer felt strangely exposed.

“Well,” Camryn took on a theatrically snooty tone, “my father is a vastly wealthy and wildly successful businessman, and I was named heir to his empire of a company, which was quite a scandal, considering my gender. He brought me to England to teach me how things are run, but I ran away to travel the world and now I’m being sent home in disgrace.”

Loki cocked an eyebrow, but she burst into laughter once more.

“I’m kidding!” She assured. “My father does own a very successful corporation, which I was scandalously named heir to, and he came to Europe in the hopes of creating some alliances and merges with parallel companies overseas. I came with him to assist and learn the trade, but my grandmother has fallen ill, so my mother implored me to return to the city and be with my family until she recovers or passes. I did see quite a bit of the continent though, and I’m not being sent home in disgrace for doing so. My father encouraged me to travel and witness as much as I could, and touring Europe has been my heart’s desire ever since I discovered what Europe was. I’m actually quite distraught at having to leave, but I do love my grandmother very much and want to be with her. Daddy assured me that I could return to finish the trip once the ordeal is over, though, so that quells a bit of my sadness.”

“Isn’t it dangerous for a lady as young as yourself to be travelling across the world and open sea all alone? Shouldn’t your father have accompanied you home, or sent someone to do it for you?”

“Travis, our footman, accompanied me all the way from Amsterdam to London, and why should it matter that I’m a young female if I’m capable of taking care of myself?” The girl waved her hand. “It’s always dangerous to travel, whether by train or open sea, alone or in a group of twenty. For example, you’re traveling by yourself, and you don’t seem to be worried at all.”

“And what brought you to the assumption that I’m traveling?”

She pointed out the structure around them. “You’re housed in a hotel. It’s quite an expensive one and you appear to be very wealthy, so I doubt that’s for lack of a home. Where are you from, originally?”

Loki had not expected such a question, and the arrival of their first course left him time to ponder. As Camryn collected her spoon in dexterous fingers, he decided upon his answer.

“Norway,” he replied. “Did you happen to see it during your travels?”

“Briefly, but unfortunately we were pressed for time when we passed through.” Her voice suddenly faded out of its flowing and trained regal state and slipped into a tone that was much more rushed and thoughtful, a bit higher-pitched than her previous velvety octave, but no less endearing. “What fascinates me the most is the religion. The old pagan one that a few in that area still practice. Your name no longer surprises me, given where you were born. I knew it sounded familiar. I actually have my heart set on returning there for an extended period and learning more about their deities and rituals. Do you worship them yourself?”

Loki considered for a moment. “In a manner of speaking, yes. What of you? Are you not a good Christian like most in the Western culture seem to be?”

It was Camryn’s turn to choose her words carefully. “I’m quite open-minded in the matter,” she decided. “Just don’t tell my mother that, else I’ll be sent off to a convent!”

“That would be such a shame,” Loki tutted. “To trap all that beauty under a dusty habit.”

“Oh, stop it. But what of you?” She inquired, composing herself. “What brings you to London?”

Loki’s premeditated lie was simple. “Wanderlust.”

“We have much in common on that front.” Camryn raised her glass as if in a toast. “Will you be wandering away from London in the near future?”

“I haven’t quite decided yet.” That statement now resided on the wings of truth, for Loki’s mind was now muddled with considerations of jumping on the next boat to New York City to follow this girl wherever she went.

Camryn hummed to herself, furrowing her shapely brows. “I wouldn’t place you as the unstructured type,” she commented. “You seem one to have an entire itinerary already mapped out, scheduling every second of your time.”

“Well, you have only known me for a few moments,” Loki jested.

She dipped her chin, stealing a sip of wine. “Point well stated.”

The courses then began to come and go, and over that time the two discussed London: their favorite parts, the ones they’d rather avoid, interactions with the locals, and tidbits of stories of particularly colorful experiences. Eventually, once the dessert plates were long gone, Loki pulled out his cigarette case and light.

“Mind if I have a smoke?” He inquired, preparing his next hook carefully.

“Only if I can have one, as well.” Before waiting for a reply, Camryn reached over the table and took a cigarette for herself, positioning it between her ruby lips delicately.

“I’m surprised you want one,” Loki admitted. “A proper young lady such as yourself doesn’t seem one to smoke.”

“I’m not as proper as you’d think,” she declared, leaning over and accepting his offered light. “But proper or no, I’m by no means addicted, or a ‘smoker.’ They merely calm me when I need them, and I find them highly glamorous in the right situation. Besides, my mother hates it when people smoke, so that makes me want to do it more.”

“Do you not have a good relationship with your mother?” Loki lit his own cigarette, taking an elegant drag and blowing away the smoke that filled his mouth languidly.

“It’s not that,” Camryn shrugged. “I just have very rebellious instincts. No matter how much I like or respect a person, if they tell me to do something, every fiber of my being implores me to do otherwise.”

“I should like to see that in the future.” Loki grinned, pulling one eyebrow upwards in the hopes of seduction, but Camryn merely shook her head, pursing her lips.

“Believe me, you don’t.”

After that reply, Loki had to improvise.

“Anyhow,” he began, returning to his original conversational plan, “it would have been rude of you to refuse my inquiry as to whether I could smoke, so I’m glad you accepted.”

“Why would it have been rude?” she exclaimed teasingly. “What if I had some sort of health condition?”

“Because you deprived me of my afternoon cigarette,” Loki explained vaguely, smirking.

Camryn scoffed. “And how does that work? Illuminate me.”

“Earlier in the day I was about to enjoy my afternoon smoke and the newspaper before the window of my room, but I caught a glance of you arriving at the hotel and was so distracted by you that I forgot about the both of them. I nearly burned a hole in my trousers.”

Camryn chuckled bemusedly. “Well, I can reimburse you for the trousers if they are, in fact, ruined, but I’m afraid I can do nothing for your absentmindedness.”

“Ah, now.” Loki shook his head. “I think there is something you can do.”

“Oh?” Camryn crossed her arms over her boyish chest, leaning back in her seat. “And what might that be?”

Loki snuffed out his cigarette, abandoning it in the ashtray as he placed his forearms on the table and leaned over them. “You can accompany me on a night on the town.”

“Alright.” Camryn mimicked his actions exactly, and when she uttered her next words they were practically nose-to-nose. “I suppose it’s only fair that I do so. When shall we leave?”

Loki exhaled sharply, rising from his seat in a gliding movement and holding out his hand, palm raised. “What’s keeping us from leaving right now?”

Camryn shifted backwards slightly, taking on a defensive stance resembling a deer poising to run from a hunter. The way her eyes so resembled a doe’s only increased the effect as they shifted from Loki’s outstretched hand to his face, filled with apprehensive surprise. She was suddenly timid, and for the first time since Loki laid eyes on her she seemed every bit a girl and not yet a grown woman, but that somehow made her that much more interesting. Finally, with her teeth catching her lower lip, she extended her own palm and slid her fingers into his. Loki helped her to her feet, purposely tugging a bit harder than necessary so that she was pulled flush against him. Their bodies were so closely pressed together that they could feel the rise and fall of the other’s chest, and as Loki’s burning eyes met hers once more, it made Camryn feel such foreign things in mind and body that she had to duck her chin. Clearing her throat, she detangled her arms from Loki’s and tucked them into the proper position for a man escorting a woman, and forced herself to assume her previous demeanor.

“Where shall you take me?” she inquired as they passed outside of the hotel’s grounds and onto the streets beginning to crowd with patrons of the nightlife. She tugged on his arm with the statement, as if she were a child pulling on her mother’s skirts. “It seems as if we’ve both already seen as much of London as there is to see, so I don’t suppose you had tourism in mind.”

“I didn’t.” Loki agreed. “However, there’s this club I’ve passed by and observed through the open door several times, but have yet to go in. How do you feel about dancing?”

The corners of Camryn’s lips pulled into a coy smile. “It’s my favorite thing in the world.”

The club he was referencing was only a few paces away, nestled between a bookstore and a pub. Its entrance was so narrow one would never even notice it was there if they weren’t looking, with no sign or indicator of its presence but the ever-opened door, warm yellow light streaming out along with constant laughter and upbeat music.

Loki removed Camryn’s hand from his bicep and clasped it in his instead, for there was no possibility that they would fit through the door abreast, even though both were equally as slim as rails. He glanced over his shoulder to see her awarding him with an apprehensive smile, exhaling in preparation between revealed teeth. Loki squeezed her palm in encouragement to relax and stepped over the threshold, becoming immediately engulfed in a scent cloud of smoke, multiple ladies’ perfumes that did not necessarily mix well, and fine wines dripping from every patron’s glass. It was overwhelming to the point where one’s eyes had to adjust, but it was not necessarily an unpleasant smell. It was the scent of a high-class life, the one the pair of them had been raised to, but it was presented in an entirely different situation than either of them had experienced: amid twirling bodies, unbarred laughter, and free conversation in loud, excited voices. The two unconsciously huddled together, unsure of where to go first.

They did not have to wonder much longer, for a waiter dressed in a disheveled suit approached and greeted the two in a thick East London accent.

“Good evening to you,” he shouted over the din. “Will you have anything to drink?”

“We’ll each have a sampling of your finest wine.” Loki did not raise the tone of his voice at all, yet he was still understood perfectly through the club’s noise. That intrigued and unsettled Camryn greatly as she wondered just who exactly this mystery man was, but she quickly dismissed the thought, figuring that her enchanted infatuation with him had her honed in on his being, creating such an illusion.

“All right, then. Those will be to you as quick as we can manage.” The waiter jotted a note down on a small pad. “Could I have a name for the tab?”

“Odinson,” Loki replied promptly, and the server nodded.

“Good, now, two glasses of wine to Mr. and Mrs. Odinson,” he confirmed, but Camryn jumped in before the last syllable had faded out.

“Oh, we’re not-”

The waiter glanced up as if seeing the pair for the first time. “Say, you two make a handsome couple.”

“Don’t we?” Mischief gleamed in Loki’s eyes as he snaked his hand about Camryn’s hip, thumb trailing a bit too scandalously across the bone at her front. “We met incidentally, two travelers staying at the hotel down the road. I joined her for dinner, uninvited, then took her dancing at this very place, which is where we fell madly in love with each other. Now, a year later, we’re here on our honeymoon.”

“You don’t say!” the waiter gasped. “You know, forget the tab. Free drinks for this couple all night! Consider it a wedding present.”

“Thank you very much.” Loki waved as the serving boy departed, but Camryn immediately smacked him on the arm in a very inappropriate gesture. To the outside eye, they appeared every bit the married couple, and it was no wonder that the waiter assumed as much.

“Why would you tell such a lie?” she gasped. “My good sir, that was certainly not truthful at all. Don’t tell me you did that just to receive free wine.”

“My dear,” Loki leaned down and whispered against the shell of the girl’s ear, “you will come to find that I am not at all a truthful man. I can afford all the wine I’d like. I told him such a thing because I gain a certain thrill from telling lies and having people believe them. To me, it makes it seem as if my falsities are true.”

Camryn pulled away, but not in jerking motion, as if she were frightened, instead leaning back just far enough so that she could see his face, trying to hide the anticipative shivers that passed down her spine at the feeling of his breath on her neck. “That’s cause for me to be very frightened of you. You’ve admitted that you’re a liar; now how do I know you’re just a lonely traveler? I’ve told you all about me and you’ve told me almost nothing about you, so you could very well be a murderer. How can I be certain that you won’t get me very indisposed on this dancing club’s free wine and then take me up to your room to murder me?”

“Trust me, Miss Potts.” Loki leaned down once more to purr against the girl’s temple. He did not have to stoop quite as far as he had with others in his previous years, for she was a woman of considerable height, but his even more considerable height still managed to dwarf her. “If I brought you to my room, I would be doing entirely different things to you.”

This time Camryn truly did jerk away, but a glimmer in her eyes betrayed that she was interested in the offer. “You may not be a truthful man, Mr. Odinson, but you certainly are a bold one.” She reached out to catch his hand in hers, quickly changing tune. “If you come dance with me promptly, perhaps I might excuse you for being too forward.”

As she pulled him onto the dance floor, a server quickly passed by and caused their hands to break apart. Nevertheless, she continued on without Loki, emerging onto the floor alone, turning to face him as she began to move. The tune was jaunty and mainly couples occupied the space, bouncing around in coordination, but she, turning about by herself, did not look strange at all. She did not appear uncomfortable or inhibited, rather, she looked to be the most beautiful and ethereal being in all the realms.

As she moved, dancing with an intoxicating mix of a style dangling between playful and seductive whilst remaining proper, Loki’s eyes, for the first time since they met, traveled from her face to her body. Her figure had not one curve, yet that set her apart from other mortal women in the way that she did not need large and prettily shaped mounds of flesh to be alluring and attractive, rather, her soul seemed to shine straight through her skin, her body seeming too compact to contain it, and in turn she shared a radiant piece of it with everyone she encountered. This fact made Loki wonder if this woman was truly an immortal, come to Midgard to break the hearts of both men and women alike.  
Loki was broken from his trance when her resonating voice, more mature sounding than a woman’s of her age ought to be, rang out over the noise.

“Mr. Odinson!” she called, grinning cheekily. She was now holding a glass of wine in one hand and the fingers of the beet-red server in the other. “If you don’t get out here within the next few seconds, I’m abandoning you and dancing with Charlie.”

“Why don’t you?” Loki played along. “He looks rather excited at the prospect.”

Charlie shook his head furiously. “Oh no, I could never come between a pair such as you two. Please, Mr. Odinson, come dance with your lovely wife. Besides, I’ve still got to give you your wine.”

Relenting, Loki pushed through the crowd until he was inches before Camryn once again, accepting his glass from the server and drawing in a languid sip.

“Will you quit procrastinating?” Camryn drained her glass in one go, then set it aside and seized Loki’s wrist with both of her hands. “I want to dance!”

“Miss Potts!” Loki gasped in feigned shock. “That was quite expensive wine and you can’t possibly have enjoyed it as it is meant to, and you will surely be drunk within the half hour if you continue on that way.”

“I’m not going to have any more, and I’ve had my share of expensive wines, so I know how they’re supposed to taste. This was your idea, so I expect you to follow through on your word.”

“What word?” Throwing her a playful smile that made her heart beat a million miles a minute, Loki followed suit in draining his glass and turned towards her, hands folding over her waist. They began to dance energetically in accordance to the tune, and Camryn’s grace rivaled even that of Loki’s. By the way she placed her feet it was obvious that she’d had training in the art, but her steps still retained an air of freedom and spontaneity that made it appear as if she was born to do so forever. And spinning right along with her, getting lost in the deep pools of her laughing eyes, Loki was beginning to believe that he was born to be in her arms. How did it come to be that a mortal woman gained such a tight grip on him after only a few hours?

The two danced until the club reached its closing and Camryn nearly collapsed in fatigue. As the pair stepped outside to return to the hotel, the wind was gusting and rain poured down, causing the girl to cast a nervous gaze out the door and tut at herself, for she had not brought a coat. Loki soon stepped in, draping his own suit jacket over her slender shoulders, then ducked his head with an arm secured firmly around her as the two sprinted as fast as they could to escape the weather. When they entered the hotel, the two discovered that their rooms were on the same floor, directly perpendicular to each other. Upon realizing this, Loki invited Camryn in for a cup of tea and to warm herself by his fire, but to his great shock, she refused with a coy shake of her head and a wry smile.

“I know what ‘come in for tea’ means, Mr. Odinson,” she declared, unlocking her own door. “I’m a good, respectable girl, and I’ve known you for such a small amount of time. I’m not going to give you what you want that easily.”

Loki decided against arguing with her about his motives and instead called out in an almost desperate plea: “Might I see you again tomorrow? Perhaps we can go on another outing.”

Camryn pursed her lips, and while she was quite deflated at the fact that she would probably never see this man again, it showed not at all on her face. “Unfortunately, you can’t. I leave for Southampton first thing in the morning.”

“Southampton?” Loki exclaimed as if in disgust. “Why are you going there?”

“I’m travelling home to New York, remember? My ship is sailing from that particular port in a few days.”

“And what ship might that be?”

“Don’t you know?” Camryn was genuinely surprised. “I’m departing on a vessel called the Titanic. It’s quite popular, and has been in the news for months. It’s supposed to be unsinkable, and the grandest ship in the world.”

Loki scoffed. “How ignorant. Anything can be sunk.”

“I agree with you, and believe that it’s rather unwise to play up that aspect of advertising lest it backfire. However, I hope and pray that it doesn’t, because I will be on that unsinkable yet completely sinkable ship.” Her grin widening, Camryn opened her door and disappeared inside. “Goodnight, Mr. Odinson. I do hope our paths cross again.”

Left completely dumbstruck, soaking wet and dripping onto the rug in a dark hallway at an outrageous hour of the night, only one thing was clear to Loki in that moment.

He had to find his way onto the Titanic.


	2. April 8th and 9th, 1912

April 8th, 1912

The next morning, Loki sprang up and dressed the moment he opened his eyes, not even bothering to tidy his hair before stepping over to Camryn’s door, hoping to catch her before she left. He rapped upon the dark wood, reasoning with himself that it was barely light outside and that she surely couldn’t have gone yet, but after several tries he still had no answer. A plump housekeeper laden with fresh linens eventually passed him, and noticed his predicament.

“She’s already left, sir,” she informed with a sympathetic cluck. “Said she was catching the first train out.”

“How long ago did she leave?” Loki demanded, turning away from the door and hovering over his witness with an unintentional menace.

The maid blanched, taken aback by his intensity. “Before first light, sir,” she answered with surprising composure. “Why, she was going out the door as I came in.”

“Damn,” Loki muttered, wrenching his own door open, announcing to no one in particular that he was checking out immediately.

The housekeeper, hearing his declaration, poked her head into the room. “Would you like for me to send someone to help you pack up?”

“No. There’s no time.” Loki retrieved his suitcase from the top wardrobe shelf, willing the woman to leave so that he might pack up by magic. Thankfully, she did not long after, and once all his belongings were secured, he cast a hefty roll of bills onto the unmade bed as payment for his room, sprinting down the stairs and leaping into the first cab that drove by.

En route to the station, the driver seemed to be going deliberately slow to irk Loki, and the ride took far too long. By the time he arrived, the first Southampton-bound train was already churning away from the platform, and the next one wasn’t due for another hour. Swearing colorfully, Loki bought his ticket and slouched onto a bench to wait, feeling quite as if Camryn would drop off the face of the earth before he would ever catch up to her.

Hours later, when he finally arrived at Southampton, Loki wasted no time in locating the most expensive and luxurious hotel in the city, stepping straight up the desk and inquiring if a Miss Potts had checked in there. When the young man at the desk said that yes, she had just an hour ago, Loki breathed a sigh of relief that he had found a way to locate her. Renting a room for himself, he passed his suitcase off to a porter but didn’t follow the boy to his new quarters, instead going straight out to purchase first class passage on the Titanic.

“So, you’re another lucky soul that’s going to get to experience this dream ship,” the man serving him at the ticket booth commented jovially. “Got any particular business in America?”

“By business isn’t in America,” Loki muttered almost inaudibly as he passed over payment. “My business is on the ship.”

When the man served him with a dubious look at that comment, Loki raised his eyes and smiled tightly. “A woman,” he elaborated.

“Oh, I see, sir!” The worker grinned broadly. “There isn’t a purer cause to sail the seas than love. Why do you have to chase after this woman? Did you get into a fight and break things off without meaning to? Is another man after her? Is she a childhood sweetheart about to move to a different country, never to be seen by you again?”

“I just met her,” Loki admitted. “When my mother told me that the moment you meet the person you’re supposed to be with that you’ll know it’s them, I never believed it, but through this woman I learned that it’s true. Unfortunately, though, she left the day after we met, headed across the sea. I have to follow her and convince her to feel the same way I do, so we can get on with our destinies.”

Embarrassed at baring his heart to some over-inquisitive booth worker, Loki gathered up his ticket before receiving a reply and quickly strode away, red faced.

Meanwhile, Camryn was blazing her way across Southampton, meeting with business associates of her father’s and having countless courtesy teas with their wives. By only the halfway point of her appointments, she felt she would burst if she had one more cake or sandwich, yet manners demanded that she push a polite amount past her lips before dashing off to her next engagement. Due to this, when she finally returned to her hotel at dusk, she opted not to attend the establishment’s formal dinner, foiling Loki’s seemingly foolproof plan to meet her there.

While he worried over her whereabouts behind a plate of untouched food, Camryn returned to her room, settling down on the edge of her temporary bed and reaching under the pillow for Loki’s black coat. At the end of that perfect night they spent together, she realized that she had forgotten to return it to him. Instead of merely going next door to correct the mistake or even turn it in at the front desk so the maids could reunite the coat with its owner, she kept it, using it as a reminder of the man she knew she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, even after such a short time, yet was practically doomed to never see again.

She brought the fabric to her nose, deeply inhaling his scent, conjuring Loki’s presence beside her. The fact that it had rained the night she acquired the jacket only enhanced his natural petrichor smell, as well as something else she could only describe as the scent of cold air. Sighing heavily, she put her arms into the coat and wrapped it around her body, bringing her feet to her chest and laying sideways on the pillow, praying to every god and force that existed that she would be reunited with him someday.  
But how could that happen when he was a wanderer, going nowhere and everywhere? She knew nothing about him but his name, and never learned where he called home so that she might know where to look for him. By the time she would arrive back in America, she knew he would be gone from London, so not even returning to look for him there was an option. Feeling as if she had lost a soulmate, Camryn shut her eyes, tears escaping from between her lashes and tracking slowly down her cheeks as she eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

Downstairs in the dining room, the patronage dwindled as night fell, yet Loki still perched at his table, awaiting her. One of the waiters, concerned that he had not eaten a bite of his food, eventually approached, wondering what was the matter.

“I’m waiting for a woman named Camryn Potts,” Loki replied. “I know she’s checked into this hotel, so I thought that dinner would be the perfect time to meet her as nearly everyone in the establishment attends, but I haven’t yet seen her.”

“Ah, so you’re a friend of Miss Potts, are you?” The young waiter cocked an eyebrow, grinning.

“Yes, I suppose you could say that,” Loki replied, brow furrowed in confusion. “Is she some sort of celebrity? Because everyone I’ve encountered seems to know her.”

“No, sir,” the waiter chuckled, a blush creeping up his neck. “Her father is just a very important man, and she has a reputation for being a very lovely girl. Her father has gone on many business ventures in the area, staying in this establishment, and she’s always attended him, first as a child, then as a teenager, and now as an adult. She’s to be the heir to his company despite her gender, so he’s always made it clear that she needs to learn the business so that she can prove that a woman can do things just as well, if not better, than a man.”

“Well, does she have a habit of skipping dinner?” Loki demanded.

“She’s had to attend business meetings all day, so she’s probably eaten already,” the waiter replied. “She’s got another full day tomorrow, and then I hear she’s off on the Titanic the day after.”

“So am I.” Loki pulled his ticket out of his coat pocket. “I’m hoping to catch up with her.”

“Don’t worry, then, sir,” the waiter assured. “She can’t slip you on a ship. Absence only makes the heart grow fonder, and your reunion is almost guaranteed. I wouldn’t continue this mission to locate her now. Be patient, and you’ll come together soon enough. Are you worried that some other man is going to steal her heart within the next day?”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Loki muttered as the waiter walked away. “Considering how quickly she wrangled a god, and the fact that she seems to have everyone she encounters under some kind of spell.”

Once the dining room closed and he was forced out, unable to bear it anymore, Loki took it upon himself to locate Camryn’s room and throw caution to the wind in their reunion. Hands trembling in anticipation to see her again, he mounted the stairs and knocked firmly on the door, growing nervous when he received no reply.

“It’s so early in the night,” he murmured to himself. “Surely she’s not asleep yet.”

“Except she is,” a passing maid corrected, smiling sympathetically. “She’s been out all day, and must be exhausted. I came in for turndown service and found her already asleep, still in her clothes, a man’s coat around her shoulders.”

Now exceedingly panicked, Loki waited until the maid had gone to use magic to unlock the door, bursting in to discover who could have stolen her from him. However, he soon remembered that in all the excitement of the night before, he forgot that he had lent Miss Potts his coat and never got it back. He held his breath as he rounded the corner to find her bed, not daring to think that what he so hoped with every fiber of his being was true.

It appeared that he had no cause for worry, for when he located her sleeping form, she was still wearing her delicate pink dress from the day, her arms laced through his suitcoat, the excess fabric curled up in her spidery hands and pressed to her face. In sleep, her eyebrows drew together as if in deep consternation, but with her slightly parted lips, she appeared some sort of angel, concerned as she surveyed her territory.

Worry fading away and affection swelling in his heart, Loki couldn’t fight the grin that spread across his face. Perhaps he really shouldn’t try so hard to run into her. Soon they would be on a ship together, after all, and they were surely going to find each other then.

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, laying his hand over her clasped ones, and, after deeply inhaling her scent of roses and vanilla, crept back out of the room and into his own, and for the first time since he was doomed to the miserable existence of banishment, fell asleep not to thoughts of how large of an injustice had been committed against him, but of Camryn.

April 9, 1912

Nearly twenty-four hours later, Camryn found herself at a large party hosted by one of her father’s biggest business partners in the area, nursing her third glass of champagne. The event had been quite boring so far, and her feet ached and throbbed from standing for so long. The pain would have been prevented if she danced, but every time a man offered, her mind went to Loki, and she would decline. So, she instead stood along the side of the spacious ballroom with her glass, fighting one yawn after another.

“Excuse me, Miss Potts.”

She turned and discovered that someone else had broken away from the crowd. It was Robert James, the son of the host, someone her father very much approved of and her mother often encouraged to put her sights on for marriage. She supposed he was an attractive man, now that his impish features had morphed into those of a sculpture, and his well-chosen attire displayed his elevated financial status tastefully. He was always perfectly courteous and a charming man, but all she could focus on was the fact that he was not Loki.

“There’s no need to excuse yourself, Mr. James,” she replied, taking yet another sip from her glass.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be absent from the only activity that has ever brought you to these sorts of functions,” Mr. James began.

“Do you mean the dancing?” she inquired. “Yes, well, I’ve had a very long couple of days, and an early morning tomorrow, so I don’t want to exhaust myself unnecessarily.”

“I see.” Mr. James stared down at his shoes. “I wondered, Miss Potts, if you would like to dine with me during your stay here, and speak of the possibility of us entering a courtship.”

Robert James always was blunt. At least she knew exactly what his intentions were, if they weren’t obvious already. Camryn inhaled sharply, searching for words that wouldn’t burn any bridges for her father.

“I’m sorry, Mr. James, but I’m leaving the country tomorrow,” she replied with a feigned regretful tone. “I think that would be quite impossible.”

“Ah, yes, on the Titanic, correct? Lucky you, it sounds fascinating.” Mr. James cleared his throat. “Well, when you come back, send me a wire and we can have that conversation then.”

With a noncommittal hum, Camryn dismissed herself from the conversation, weaving her way out of the ballroom and onto the terrace.

As she approached the balcony, pulling her wrap tighter around herself and setting her glass aside, she heaved a sigh that wracked her entire body. Was this to be her life from now on? Avoiding perfectly good offers in favor of a man she had known for one night yet was completely infatuated with? She never even knew if he would see him again, which stabbed her soul. Even though she was exhausted and knew she needed to turn in early to compensate for the next morning, she was hesitant to leave the party, because she knew that the moment she left, the night would be over, and when the night was over and she boarded the ship, Loki Odinson would be gone from her forever.


	3. April 10th, 1912: Morning

“Are you ready to go, Miss Potts?”

“Just one more moment, please.” Camryn spoke to the porter over her shoulder, eyes still fixed on the hotel room that had just been cleared of any evidence of her stay there, yet she didn’t see a thing. “You can take those bags down now, though.”

She was grateful when her request was carried out, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Glancing over towards the door to make sure no stray maid had come along to strip the bed, she took the coat she currently carried on her arm, one she had not lost contact with since returning from the ball the previous night, and held it in her hands, squinting her eyes shut and burying her nose in Loki’s scent. When she pulled away, tears rolled down her cheeks and she choked back a sob. Since her departure from London she harbored hope that they might encounter each other again, but boarding the Titanic dashed that hope to pieces.

“You’re being silly,” she reprimanded herself, voice thick and shuddering. “You’ve only just met him, and were only around him for a few hours. That’s not enough to warrant this melodramatic reaction.”

Her heart pleaded a different case.

“Did you say something, miss?”

Camryn started as she noticed the porter, returned from his errand, at her side once more. She hurriedly cleared her throat and dried her eyes, bending over her last remaining bag to tuck the coat inside.

“No, I didn’t,” she replied once she had control of herself. She passed him the case and managed to muster up a fraction of her signature charming smile. “Shall we be off, then?”

She followed the porter down the stairs and into her waiting cab, passing him his tip as she slid into her seat.

“I wish you the safest of journeys, miss,” he bade. “The Titanic… that’s an opportunity of a lifetime. You’re making history today.”

“I hope so,” she replied. “It seems that’s the only thing that can make my heavy heart just a bit lighter.”

Before the porter could request an explanation, the driver shut the door and drove off, eager to avoid the traffic that the sure-to-be monumental day would bring.

It appeared that Camryn’s scheme to be early and board the ship before the crowds came pouring in was foiled, for everyone else seemed to have the same idea she did. The ride to the docks took much longer than it should have, and when she finally arrived, they were already packed and swarming with passengers standing in line to board, along with news reporters and photographers at every corner, even non-travelers only present to catch a glimpse of the ship and those fortunate enough to have passage on it.

Her driver, obviously in a dismal mood due to the impediment to his route the attendees caused, stopped in an awkward spot and began to unload the vehicle without even asking Camryn if their location was a good place for her to be left off, and drove away the moment she shut the door behind her. She sent him off with a scowl, performing the geometric trial of figuring out how to get all her bags into her arms at once, and only when she achieved it did she realize that the third-class passengers were to board first, and she had at least an hour of waiting before her turn came.

So much for departing early to make leaving Loki behind easier, she thought, wishing she could better enjoy the experience being a part of such a fantastic day in history.  
Heaving a sigh, she lugged herself and her baggage over to a rare spot separate from the chaos, crumbling down on one of her larger suitcases and resting her chin in her hand, suddenly regretting the decision to leave her lady’s maid behind in her current journey, lamenting that she could have both assistance and companionship if she hadn’t. Her stature in those musings was quite an interesting sight to onlookers, contrasting heavily to her normal elegance: the daughter of a highly-esteemed millionaire, dressed in a pristine white travel suit and an elaborate, matching hat, a rebellious color smeared across her lips, lounging dejectedly atop her bag like a common nomad.

One of the crew paroling the docks noticed the strange sight, as well, and approached to closer investigate. He noticed her dress and her countenance, but he wondered why someone who appeared to be so wealthy was traveling without a single servant. He worried over the fact that she appeared to be on the docks utterly unattended, especially when she seemed to be so young.

“Excuse me, miss,” he began as he approached, and Camryn’s unsettlingly garnet colored eyes snapped to him. “Are you a passenger of the ship?”

“I am,” she replied, taking her boarding pass from her handbag and showing it to him. “I stupidly didn’t realize that my boarding time is later, though, so I have to wait here.”

The crewmember scanned he pass, eyes widening as he recognized her name. This was clearly not a girl that should be left alone amidst an immense crowd of people below her station, many of which would gladly take the opportunity to get their hands on her.

“We can certainly make an exception for you, Miss Potts,” he declared. “I’ll go inform some crewmembers that you’re coming so they can prepare for your boarding. You can just follow me.”

The man jogged off ahead, but as Camryn attempted the arduous task of collecting her bags, he disappeared in a wave of people. She didn’t worry too excessively that she lost sight of him, seeing as her place of boarding was listed clearly on her pass, and she needed only find it. She bumbled along miserably, though, hindered by the luggage meant to last her a nine-month trip, until a timid tap on the shoulder roused her. She turned to discover a man, weathered beyond his years, attended by a skinny little boy, both having stepped out of their own boarding line. They had scrubbed themselves pink for the occasion of traveling on the Titanic and had put on their best clothes, yet even those were still riddled with patches and loose threads that displayed their low status. The man regarded Camryn nervously, expecting her to spit on him as most people as rich as her did to people as poor as him, but she merely smiled broadly and said a warm hello.

“Excuse me, miss.” The man took off his cap and clutched it in calloused hands. “I’m Jacob Greene, if it please you. This here is my son, Joshua.” Jacob gestured to the boy beside him, and Joshua conjured up a smile that proudly bore missing teeth, brilliant blue eyes closing with the width of the expression, lashes longer than a girl’s brushing his freckled cheeks. Camryn was instantly charmed by the boy, and giggled heartily.

“How wonderful to meet you, Jacob and Joshua. I’m Camryn Potts.”

“Well, Miss Potts, we noticed you trying to carry all of those bags by yourself,” Jacob began. “It’s not right for a lady to carry such a burden. You see, we’ve hardly got any possessions at all-” he broke off to shrug, bringing attention to the rucksack he carried on his shoulder- “and, if it please you, miss, we’d like to help you.”

“Well, I’d be delighted to have the help, so long as it doesn’t trouble you.” She gladly dropped her bags to the ground, now utterly separated from the man escorting her to where she would board. “My only request is that you don’t make Joshua all tired out by having him carry the heavy things. He needs his strength for being a hero, like in the stories.”

The boy beamed at that, rolling up his shirtsleeve and displaying his lithe muscles, prematurely defined in a way that suggested he was not a stranger to manual labor.

“Normally, I’d say that it would be good for the boy, but now I’m obliged to agree with you.” Jacob gathered up the largest of her bags, and Camryn passed Joshua her handbag, taking the last remaining medium-sized cases for herself. The boy bore his charge proudly as they began to walk, as if he were carrying the crown at a coronation.

“Why? Is there something wrong with him?” Camryn asked, careful to keep her queries out of Joshua’s earshot.

“Joshie got very sick in the recent months, and he’s just now recovering,” Jacob explained. “That’s actually why we’re coming to America. My wife and I had been discussing going there for a while, better opportunities, you know, but we never could find the right time. When Joshie fell ill, it sent us into a panic, because his sister had never had his sickness, but my wife had, and she was weakened from it to a point where a relapse would kill her. She had family in New York that could house her in the meantime, so she packed up little Janie and left. I stayed behind and took care of Joshua, and once he got better I started working extra to earn money for tickets so we could join the rest of our family. I worry that I’m coming without securing a job there, but I’m sure it will all work out somehow. Back to elaborating on your original question, though, he’s better now, but sometimes he doesn’t feel quite right or will come down with a nasty fit of coughing, so I try to keep him from anything too strenuous.”

“I see.” Camryn tutted, casting another look back at Joshua. “Well, Mr. Greene, my father owns a successful, sprawling business, with headquarters in New York. They’ve not nearly enough people to fill all their positions, so they’re always hiring for one thing or another. I can guarantee you a job there. It may not be the career you want, but it’s an income, and a good one, at that, to have whilst you look for your dream position. I will be sure to find you later and give you some more comprehensive contact information, and once we get on the ship, I’ll send a wire ahead to my father and warn him that he’ll have to answer to me if he doesn’t offer you a job.”

Jacob flushed redder than Camryn thought possible. “You’re too kind, miss. Really, I can’t thank you enough. I was so worried that I wouldn’t find work when we got there…”

“Well, now you have.” Camryn looked back at him and grinned, but could not keep the contact for long, for she was stepping up onto the ramp to where she would board. The captain was stationed on the deck to receive her, accompanied by another uniformed crewmember. They greeted Camryn warmly, hardly even glancing over her boarding pass and chatting animatedly about the ship and the wonderful voyage she was to have, but their faces turned stony at the presence of Jacob and Joshua.

“What are the likes of you are doing at the first class entrance?” the crewmember spat. “Get away from here, and go back with your own kind.”

“Excuse me, sir,” Camryn interjected, hands trembling with anger. “They were very generously helping me with my bags, and are much better men than you have just proved yourself to be.”

“Well, they can’t go any further.”

“Then how am I to manage myself, with all of these things?”

“That’s what I’m for, miss,” a porter that had appeared from inside the ship during the hostile exchanges raised his hand, blushing for the sake of his colleague. “I’m to take you to your stateroom from here.”

“Really, Miss Potts, it’s alright,” Jacob insisted. Not wishing for him to linger in discomfort much longer, Camryn demanded a few moments before she went with the porter.

“If you’re going to have us open the entrance early for you, at least have the courtesy to pass through in a timely fashion,” the crewmember hissed.

“Perhaps I would, if you had the courtesy to not treat hardworking human beings like the dirt on your shoes.” She flashed him a glare that could freeze magma in its track, her countenance softening as she turned to her helpers.

“Could you pass me that bag you’re holding, Joshua?” she requested, and the boy did so proudly. She reached inside and extracted a handful of bills, giving Jacob the most generous tip of her life.

“Miss, this is too much,” he insisted, trying to pass it back. Camryn refused to take it, closing his fingers into his palm and holding his fist in her gloved hand.

“It’s compensation for that piece of scum behind me,” she explained, then bent down to Joshua’s eye level, reaching into the bag once again.

“You see, Joshua,” she explained, “I never travel without a hefty supply of sweets. I find that these in particular are a rather good pick-me-up, so I’ll let you have this bag. If you’re ever feeling poorly, just have a piece of the candy and you’ll feel better instantly. It’s the most delicious medicine in existence.”

“Thank you, miss,” Joshua gasped, taking the large bag in his small hands, but his eyes soon flashed with boyish mischief. “You know, I feel alright, but I really would like one now.”

Camryn smirked, inching closer to his face. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Joshua’s eyebrows shot upwards, and he eagerly tore into the bag and popped a candy into his mouth, glancing around as if someone was about to scold him. With that image lightening her heart, Camryn sent the Greenes away, and consented to the porter to lead her to her stateroom, but paused before the crewmember.

“You’d best stay away from the edge of this ship when I’m around,” she murmured menacingly in his ear. “You’re such a small man; it would take no more than a simple nudge for me to shove you overboard.”

With a cold laugh at his terrified expression, she followed the porter onto the ship.

Meanwhile, Loki was across town, drawing the conclusion that slow cabs would be the death of his relationship with Miss Potts. He knew his boarding time was not until later in the day, and therefore delayed his departure, but that soon proved to be a terrible decision, for the traffic was so thick that he wondered if it would be faster to get out of his cab and walk to the docks instead.

When he finally arrived, he bit back annoyed shouts at the hordes of people he was immediately immersed in, with seemingly no escape. Focused intently on achieving his purpose despite the obstacle, he didn’t even pause to admire the sprawling ship before him, which he later reflected upon as being fit for Asgard, for he had one task only: to find Camryn.

After a few moments of frantically scanning the area, he eventually caught sight of her boarding the ship, a porter trailing behind her, her brilliant white outfit shining out like a beacon amidst the drab colors of everyone else in the area, her form almost seeming to glow. Loki deflated in relief, for she was already aboard the ship, and as he was soon to get on, as well, there were very few things that could separate them now.

Now determined more than ever, Loki began to make use of his small suitcase, all he needed to carry the possessions he couldn’t easily acquire with magic, as a wedge to part the crowd. In his urgency, he pushed himself to the front of the boarding line, his silver tongue proving quite useful in excusing the offence.

Once over the ramp and on the deck, he didn’t stay long to chat with the captain, merely commenting that the ocean liner was one fit for the gods. The man was completely naïve to the truth in that statement, but he could barely utter his thanks before Loki was shoving his boarding pass under a porter’s nose and requesting to be directed to the stateroom listed. That particular porter was quite used to what he perceived as spoiled patrons, and relieved Loki of his case with a pleasant expression, for the spoiled were typically rich, and the rich tipped well if not provoked to do otherwise.

As Loki was guided through a ship dripping with splendor, only the handsome grand staircase caused him to pause. When his guide noticed his interest, he stepped aside to let Loki take in the area, as he had already done with many other travelers earlier in the day. However, though Loki would later note that the simple yet luxurious area was so regal that it was the only place on Midgard he had found truly reminiscent of his royal upbringing, Loki wasn’t admiring the staircase for its beauty. He was instead picturing Camryn in its elegant yet sturdy embrace, gazing down on him from the landing, moonlight filtering in from the crystalline dome above and giving her skin an ethereal glow. With a knowing smile playing at her ruby lips, the vision descended to him, her gloved hand sliding almost erotically down the bannister, even the cherub figurine seeming to stare at her in awe. When she at last halted in front of him, she held her hand out expectantly and cocked an eyebrow.

“Mr. Odinson,” she declared. “Are you going to ask me to dance or not?”

Loki chuckled to himself, turning away from the vision and motioning for the porter to continue. 

When they arrived at Loki’s stateroom, it opened up on an ornately furnished parlor, but the porter promptly descended into the bedroom to relieve himself of the suitcase. Loki did not follow him to observe his sleeping quarters as many would have done, but instead stepped immediately back into the corridors with the mission to locate Camryn. He did not have to look for long, for the door directly across from his was ajar, revealing the servants inside bustling back and forth, unpacking a lady’s things, and her sweet voice carried over to him from within. His heart skipped a beat, and he entered the room with nary a concern for manners or pleasantries.

“Have you lost your way, sir?” a maid unboxing a hat inquired when she noticed his presence. “John can help you to your room. He’s arranging this lady’s bags now, but he’ll be finished in just a moment.”

“Actually, my business is with the occupant of this room.”

Camryn, behind a dressing screen in the bedroom at the time, was just about to inquire as to who the visitor was, but the sound of Loki’s voice made her blood run cold in all the right ways. With a gasp at his declaration, she rushed out without even fastening her fresh dress in the back, enlisting all of her effort to enter the next room calmly.

“Mr. Odinson!” she exclaimed, stepping up to him with a bright grin. “What a pleasant surprise! I was quite worried I’d never see you again.”

“As was I, but I vowed to not let that fear turn into a reality.” Loki reached down and took her hand, pressing a kiss to it. A girlish smile playing at her lips, she broke eye contact to address the staff in the room, informing them that they were dismissed.

“I have something for you,” she declared once they were alone. Without elaborating further, she momentarily returned to the bedroom to retrieve the coat she kept of Loki’s. She was wont to give up the souvenir, as it had brought her so much comfort in their parting, but she concluded that since they were together again, she didn’t have need for it.

“I believe you might have missed this,” she commented when she emerged back into the parlor, extending the coat to Loki. His eyes widened in realization.

“I did,” he commented. “You seem to have kept it quite safe, though.”

“In a manner of speaking.” Camryn felt heat creep up her neck at what she was about to confide in him. “Truthfully, I liked that I had it. It smelt of you, and reminded me of that wonderful night we had. I’d often put it round my shoulders when I was alone and dream that you were there, longing for us to meet again.”

Though these words tugged on Loki’s heart, he was never one to miss a beat in such a situation.

“If it’s brought you that much comfort, then I insist upon you keeping it.”

“Well, then, it’s only fair that you have a favor of mine.” Camryn pulled out her handkerchief, embroidered with her initials in red, and passed it into his grasp. “I know it’s not a suitcoat, but I daresay my dresses would be far too short for you.”

“This will do wonderfully.”

As Loki gratefully tucked the favor into a safe pocket, Camryn took his hand and led him to the sofa.

“So,” she began. “The wanderer wandered onto the Titanic. I wish you would have told me sooner, because then my anxiety these past days would have been far less.”

“I would have told you if I knew, but it was quite a spontaneous decision,” Loki explained, glancing down at their still-intertwined hands.

“And what spawned this spontaneous decision?”

Loki raised his gaze to meet hers, staring into her eyes with an intensity that could only come from a god.

“You,” he replied simply.

Camryn started at that, but before she could trouble herself with conjuring up a reply, the strap of her lilac-colored dress tumbled down, revealing a large amount of her milky white chest, and would have borne even more if she didn’t slap a hand on the rogue fabric to stop it.

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I forgot to have one of the staff fasten it; your arrival caused me too much excitement.”

“I’ve been wondering since I first met you at the hotel,” Loki said with a tone of scolding, “why are you not travelling with at least a lady’s maid, as is customary for girls of your status?”

“Well, you see, my lady’s maid is married to my father’s valet. The pair accompanied us on the business tour, and as my father and I are both rather self-sufficient, they had much free time and the trip was like a second honeymoon to them. When I got called back home, I thought it would be cruel to drag her away from that time with her husband.”

“That’s all very noble, Miss Potts, but what do you intend to do in situations such as this, when you need someone to fasten you into your clothes?”

“I just hope for some kind passerby to come and help me,” she answered with a giggle, rising to her feet. “Would you be my kind passerby today, sir?”

“I will.” Loki rose to join her, taking the clasps of her dress in his fingers and leaning down so that his lips were level with her ear. “Though, if I had it my way, I would not be putting you into your clothes, but rather taking you out of them.”

Camryn’s breath hitched in her throat. She blinked a few times and clenched her fists to stop them from trembling before replying in a wavering whisper:

“I would make some sort of comment regarding the impropriety of that statement, Mr. Odinson, but that would make quite a hypocrite of me, for I believe I would prefer that as well.”

Loki swiftly spun her in his arms, savoring the way her eyes widened and lips parted in surprise and anticipation, and was just guiding his mouth towards hers when a maid bustled into the room and caused the two to spring apart.

“I have the extra blankets you requested, miss,” she announced cheerfully. “Oh, and I thought I’d let you know that the ship is about to depart. It’ll be quite a sight, and everyone’s anxious to see it, so I’d suggest going now if you want a good viewing place on the deck.”

Camryn flashed Loki a resigned smile, reaching over to the arm of the sofa and wrapping a warm fur around her shoulders. “Shall we go, then? Just let me fetch my hat.”


	4. April 10th, 1912: Afternoon

Once Camryn had donned a hat perfectly matching the color of her lilac dress, with some of the corresponding flowers decorating the brim, she took Loki’s arm with an almost apprehensive smile. They had been so close to kissing each other before, and the things that they had said to each other brought heat to her cheeks, though she could not tell if it was from embarrassment or desire. As Loki led her into the narrow hall, she began to do what she usually did when she was nervous: chatter so much and so unbelievably fast that her words began to tumble over one another until she ran out of breath. This time she was able to better control herself and maintain some sense of elegance, but her speech was still higher-pitched and a bit quicker than usual.

“I’m glad I can finally be truly excited about being on this ship,” she began. “Of course I was of upset about my time in Europe being cut short, but I loved the thought of being on something so splendid as the Titanic. But then I met you, and I started to dread getting on, because that meant never seeing you again. However, we’ve reunited now, and my joy of being on the ship can return. My adventure in Europe may be finished for now, but I feel like the Titanic will be a wonderful journey in its own.”

“It just might be, Miss Potts.” Loki looked down at her with a bemused expression, placing his hand over hers where it rested in the crook of his elbow and giving it a squeeze. “I feel like it will.”

“Is that Camryn Potts I see?” came a thin, crackling voice from behind them, and the pair turned to see a withered woman clutching the arm of a butler with one hand and holding spectacles to her face with another, attended by a maid dressed in richer fabrics than even some of the second class passengers. As for the mistress, her attire made her lavish wealth obvious, though also her age.

“Mrs. DeWinter.” Camryn backtracked to approach the woman, stooping to plant a kiss on each of her withered cheeks. “How lovely to see you here.”

“I imagine we’ll be seeing everyone important in society on this ship at one point or another.” As Camryn pulled away, Mrs. DeWinter grappled for her left hand, holding it close to her nose. After inspecting it for a few moments, she tutted and let it drop.

“Whatever was that for, Mrs. DeWinter?” Camryn inquired, holding her hand up to her own face to see what on Earth Mrs. DeWinter could have been looking for. Loki stepped up behind her in a protective stance, though the old woman was too frail to pose any real threat.

“I saw you travelling with a man and I thought that you must have been married.” A barely-there brow arched in disapproval. “I see now you haven’t.”

Loki inhaled sharply at that. It would be a Herculean trial to form the relationship he wanted to have with Camryn in an enjoyable way with those such as Mrs. DeWinter breathing down their necks.

“Oh no, Mrs. DeWinter, we’re not traveling together.” Camryn reached behind her and grasped Loki’s arm, contradicting that statement. “We met recently in London and had an unexpected reunion this morning, and we spoke in my stateroom briefly before coming out to witness the departure of the ship.”

As Mrs. DeWinter’s cool eyes searched Loki up and down, her expression openly stated that she did not believe the claims of propriety.

“And who are you, sir?” she inquired, words spitting from her lips like chips of ice.

“Loki Odinson.” He made a small, stiff bow, almost mocking.

“I don’t recognize the name.” Mrs. DeWinter scrutinized him even closer. “What is it your family does, Mr. Odinson?”

“We’re politicians,” he replied in a clipped tone. “In Norway.”

“Well, that explains why I’ve never heard of you. Quite insignificant, Norway, isn’t it?” Mrs. DeWinter tightened her coat around herself. “Well, I must continue on the way I was going before this interaction. Do join me for tea, sometime, Miss Potts.”

As Mrs. DeWinter and her attendees stalked away, Camryn rolled her eyes, and Loki took the opportunity to lighten the mood.

“That’s the first acquaintance of yours I’ve met that’s not mooning over you,” he commented, and Camryn chuckled lightly.

“You’ll come to find that there’s a great deal of people in society that don’t approve of me. A large portion of them are on this ship.”

“What could give them cause to think that way?”

Camryn took Loki’s arm once more and the two continued down the hall.

“I’m new money,” she explained. “All of these ‘family fortune’ people already dislike that, and they hate even more the fact that I’m set to inherit the business that made us our money, despite being a woman. And I don’t help myself as far as my image by not subduing any part of my personality.”

“Those that matter won’t require that you do.”

“I know.” Camryn smiled reassuringly. “It’s just frustrating. Not for my sake, but for everyone else’s. If you’re in a political family, I want your word that you will make sure your society isn’t like this one: where the rich treat the poor like an inferior species and demand that they better themselves, yet still detest them when they do so. It’s absolutely disgusting. Most of the wealthy are complete vultures.”

“It’s not an issue where I’m from,” Loki replied. Because what they care about on Asgard is war and hypermasculinity, not fortune. “But I promise to make sure it never becomes one.”

As the two emerged onto the promenade deck, notions of activism were forgotten. Camryn was positively giddy inside, brimming with childish excitement to be on a monumental voyage on such a beautiful ship.

Though the deck was crowded with people, it was quite a different atmosphere than the exuberant ones down on the second and third class decks, where travelers were already hanging over the rails, waving and shouting to those below. In first class, every passenger was concerned with propriety, and was trying to prove his or her status to be better than everyone else’s. They fought to retain expressions of detached interest, though they were betrayed by the anticipation that shone in their eyes.

Because of that, it was quite simple for Camryn and Loki to make their way through the crowd and claim the perfect spot over the rails. The two stared down at the world below with wide eyes: last minute passengers scrambling to board, family members yelling goodbye from the docks, uniformed crewmembers carrying away the last of the luggage, news reporters and photographers documenting every second of the event, and those there just trying to get a glimpse of the Titanic and all of her splendor. Though a great portion of Southampton was visible from atop the towering ocean liner, the crowd of witnesses stretched back as far as the eye could see.

When the horn blew at noon, signaling the ship’s departure, the crowd’s excitement increased exponentially. Swept up in the beautiful chaos, the once-prim first class passengers crowded the rails beside Camryn and Loki, though as the men waved their hats and the women their handkerchiefs, their behavior was still subdued. Camryn giggled heartily as she blew kisses to those below, yet Loki could watch nothing but her, utterly entranced by this childish side of a girl he had only seen be impossibly mature.

As Titanic made her first tugs away from shore, the crowd began to throw flowers onto the ship, a modest bundle of sweet peas sailing through the air and landing in Camryn’s hands. As she caught the blooms and held them to her chest, she and Loki shared a look, both of their faces alight and hearts pounding, drinking each other in. They shared an intimate moment, both feeling as if all of the excitement around was only for them, as only couples in love could. Though, despite all that had happened so far, both still believed their attraction for each other to be unrequited, and they broke their gaze with burning cheeks, attention returning to bidding goodbye to Southampton.

As the shore grew smaller along the horizon, the crowd along the rails began to dissipate, most answering the call of the luncheon horn. Camryn stayed rooted where she was, still staring out across the water as if hypnotized. Eventually, she and Loki were the only observers left on their deck, but Camryn showed no signs of wanting to leave soon.

“I’m sorry,” she said, yet still didn’t tear her eyes away. “But now that I’ve found you, I can be excited about being part of this again. When I travel, I’m always afraid that I’ll miss something, not enjoy it properly, or that the moment I turn away something extraordinary will happen and I’ll not witness it. It’s an irrational anxiety, I know, but I want to commit every last detail to perfect memory, and drink it in as much as possible. Only then can I rest easily.”

“I completely understand. Take as much time as you’d like.” Though Loki had no formal obligation to attend Camryn at all times, now that he’d found her, he wasn’t going to leave her again. Besides, he was quite enjoying the experience himself: the smell of the sea, the soothing wind on his face, the feeling of freedom that having an ocean before him brought.

When a steady trickle of rain began to flow down, Loki hurried to remove his coat and drape it over Camryn’s shoulders. She wouldn’t let him, however, and turned away from her perch, leading the two back inside the ship.

“I don’t want to end up stealing another one of your coats, Mr. Odinson,” she chuckled. “The coast is going to be in our view until tomorrow afternoon, so I’m as satisfied as I’m going to get with the view. Besides, I didn’t have a good breakfast, and all of the excitement has made me quite hungry. Would you mind terribly if I asked you to reserve us a luncheon table at the restaurant while I go put these flowers away in my stateroom?”

Loki quirked the corner of his lips up, amused at her tendency to ramble. He agreed and watched adoringly as she hurried away, clearly fighting the urge to break into a run. His smile turned into a scowl, however, as he noticed the few passengers around him, observing the scene with eyes narrowed in scrutiny.

“Camryn was right in her description,” he muttered, going on his way. “These people are vultures. Completely concerned with propriety when there are much more trying things to worry about.”

Meanwhile Camryn was racing through the corridors, clutching the flowers with trembling hands, her entire body buzzing with excited energy. She stopped a passing maid to request a vase, and when she entered her stateroom she paused only to slip a bloom into a heavy book to be pressed before squealing quietly, jumping up and down. She was at last on the ship of dreams, and Loki was with her. And not only that, he had not even been planning to get on the ship, but did so to follow her.

“He came to follow me,” she whispered, pressing her fingers over her mouth as if the heavenly words were forbidden. It was all terribly romantic. Visions of her future life flashed across her mind’s eye: the time resembling a couple’s holiday they would have on the ship; Loki establishing himself in New York when they docked and the two having a proper courtship, retaining the utmost approval of her parents; a beautiful wedding the following summer; taking a year to tour Europe for their honeymoon; maintaining a perfect balance between work and their many children as they co-directed her father’s company.

Camryn was just imagining the wallpaper of their romantic summer home in France when the maid returned with the requested vase, forcing her to resume subdued behavior. She put away her coat and paused before a mirror to straighten her hair, which had become slightly disheveled in the wind and rain, and went to meet Loki at the restaurant.

When she saw him sitting at their reserved table, facing towards the door where she entered and his brow slightly furrowed as he perused the menu, her heart leapt to her throat. With his long hair and startlingly white skin, he appeared so different from all the other men of society, but so superior. His clear intelligence and unparalleled elegance put him miles above everybody else, and as he sat in a regal yet relaxed position that would be impossible for anyone to replicate, he appeared an elven king, Titanic being his palace, the owner of everything and everyone on it.

When he noticed Camryn, his face brightened and he stood to greet her. As he pulled out her chair, which was cushioned and upholstered with a rosebud print, adding to the splendid and delicate beauty of the Louis XVI-style room, their arms brushed together, sending a jolt of heat through Camryn’s body. As she took her seat, she reflected that she often thought that, due to her personality and future responsibility, she was different than other girls of her age, but the fact that simple interactions with a terribly attractive man turned her into a giggling schoolgirl was a sign she should let go of that pretentious attitude.

As the two ordered their meals and began to eat, they chatted animatedly about the ship: how wonderful it was, the amenities they’d already discovered, the features they itched to try. Camryn was in the midst of talking about the saltwater swimming pool when a man approached the table, eyes fixed unwaveringly on her. Loki’s spine grew rigid, his expression forbidding, and he expanded threateningly at the shoulders, sensing danger from the visitor, though he appeared to be harmless.

He was dressed in a way that would obviously display his wealth, but with taste, and would be tall compared to the other men on the ship, yet not to Loki. His face was conventionally attractive and made him appear much younger than he actually was, but the grey strands that mingled with his chestnut-colored hair betrayed him. He would have been nothing unique were it not for his small, colorless eyes, which would have been better suited to a snake than a human, permanently narrowed, searching out the next thing to devour.

Camryn continued to chatter despite Loki’s considerably changed demeanor, oblivious to the man behind her until he purred:

“Princess Camryn. Why, I’d recognize you even from behind.”

She turned and grinned at the man, though the expression did not carry its usual warmth.

“Mr. Grant!” she exclaimed, rising as was custom. “I haven’t seen you since I was thirteen. What are you doing here?”

Mr. Grant took her hand and gave it a lingering kiss, regarding her with an expression that could not be distinguished between menace and lust. Loki bristled.

“Business brought me to England, and the Titanic is bringing me home,” he replied in a suave tone. “Funny how we reunited, isn’t it? Almost like fate.”

At those words, Loki rose from his seat and stood protectively over Camryn’s shoulder. Mr. Grant didn’t notice him, however, and continued to look Camryn up and down.  
“You’ve grown up very well,” he praised. “You’re a gorgeous young woman. Your father must be proud.”

“And you look exactly the same as you did the last time I saw you, before you relocated your business headquarters to Boston.” Camryn took Loki’s arm and brought him to the foreground. “Mr. Grant, this is Loki Odinson, a wanderer, but his family is in Norwegian politics. Mr. Odinson, this is Elliot Grant, a fellow new money business owner, and a longtime close colleague of my father.”

“I’m not nearly as successful in the fortune-making business as your father has been,” Mr. Grant teased with Camryn, but as his gaze turned to Loki, it turned icy. “Are you two travelling together, Mr. Odinson?”

Mr. Grant’s attempts at intimidation were futile on Loki, and he fixed him with his own menacing stare. “In a fashion.”

“Hmph.” Mr. Grant’s lip curled, but he became jolly once more when he turned back to Camryn. “Unfortunately, my work never ends, and I’m currently on my way to a meeting. I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to say hello. We must talk further later.”

“Yes. We must.” Camryn waved him off with a smile, but shivered as he walked away. Though he had doted on her as a child, Camryn always felt something off with Mr. Grant, though she could never place what.

Loki, on the other hand, was sure there was something terrible about Mr. Grant. He vowed to himself to not let him within thirty feet of Camryn before he found out what, and when he did, he would destroy him.

Just as the two began to shake off the incident and return to their almost-finished meals, Camryn had another visitor that happened to be a business associate. Mr. Bundie was far more pleasant and not at all threatening, for he was a cheerful old man, short and fat, with an enormously bushy mustache. He greeted both Camryn and Loki warmly, and apologized profusely when delivering the news that due to a delay in their travels, her father had to reschedule Mr. Bundie’s meeting on their business tour, and happened to do so by telling him to have it with Camryn on the Titanic instead. Camryn was wont to leave Loki, but she did enjoy Mr. Bundie, and preferred to get her work done early so she wouldn’t have to worry about it later.

“I’m so sorry,” she said to Loki as she stood from the table. “I’ll find you again the moment I’ve finished.”

Though he assured her it was perfectly alright, Loki glowered as Mr. Bundie drew her off to the reception room. It appeared he would not only have to destroy Mr. Grant, but every blasted soul on the Titanic, if he was to ever have hope of alone time with Camryn.

***

“You have to help me.”

Loki jumped slightly as Camryn appeared from out of nowhere, taking his hand and steering him to a quiet corner of the formal dining room. After she had been dragged away during their lunch, he hadn’t seen her again. Figuring that they’d reunite at dinner, if he didn’t see her before that, he spent the rest of the day exploring the ship, learning every nook and cranny.

Camryn, on the other hand, had been employed every second of that time. Once her meeting with Mr. Bundie was over, she went to send a telegram to her father about the Greenes, and as she was leaving the mail room, some society wives that knew her mother captured her to join them for tea. When the ship docked in Ireland to let more passengers on, there happened to be an enormous gaggle of the newcomers that knew either her father or her mother, each pulling for some for Camryn’s time, leaving her introverted soul frazzled beyond belief.

“What’s wrong?” Loki’s mind flashed to Mr. Grant. “Has someone hurt you?”

“No, nothing like that.” Camryn raised the glass she carried to her lips, and Loki smelled the alcohol on her breath. She wasn’t drunk yet, but she was getting there. “I’ve just been around people all day and I can’t take it any more. Everyone’s either trying to strike a business deal or ask who designs my dresses. The thought of having dinner with them is insufferable. The men mostly ignore me at the table, but the only time the women stop jabbering about themselves is when they make subtly condescending comments to me about being new money. That’s why I nipped into the champagne early: so I could stand the evening. But if I could sit with you at your two-person table instead of my enormous one, it would save me a world of misery.”

Loki feigned offense. “So, Miss Potts, you only wanted to sit with me to get away from others? How could you use me like that?”

“You misunderstand.” She smiled coyly, not as reserved due to the alcohol in her system. “That was my plea to get you to agree. Are my tales of pain and woe true? Yes. But I want to be with you right now. Consider this: if I truly didn’t want to be with anyone right now, I would have gone to the restaurant and gotten my own table, or even requested to have my meal in my room. I want to be with you as much as possible.”

“I like how thick that champagne makes you lay it on.” Loki glanced over his shoulder when he felt the disapproving stares on his back, the patrons standing around them no doubt raising eyebrows at their closeness. Though they both despised ridiculous societal rules, Loki understood that Camryn had a reputation to uphold, being who she was, and couldn’t afford any slips. Though Loki would love to lean down and share a sloppy kiss with her, he knew he couldn’t do anything to hurt her image.

“Come. Let’s get some food in you.” Loki led her to his intimate table for two, a rarity in the dining saloon meant for networking and displays of wealth and status. They enjoyed a pleasant meal with fun yet meaningless conversation, since nothing more was possible in the loud room and with Camryn’s state. 

When she consumed it quickly or in anything other than small amounts, as she had during the reception before dinner, she did not handle alcohol very well, and the drink turned her usual quiet self into someone silly and boisterous. More champagne was served at dinner, turning her from inebriated to drunk, and Loki knew he had to get her away from prying eyes. When the last course was cleared away, he helped Camryn from her seat and suggested they take a walk, intending to take her straight back to her stateroom, until she screwed her mouth up and set her jaw stubbornly.

“No. I want to dance. Like the first night we spent together.”

“Here?”

“No, silly. Outside.”

“But there won’t be any music out there.”

“You can hear the band from right outside the windows.” She grinned and took both of his hands, tugging him along. “Come on.”

Loki had to admit that the idea sounded appealing, and her intoxicated state was rather amusing. The two scurried to the deck in front of the saloon and took each other in their arms, listening for strains of music that pushed through the glass. The band was currently playing a typical dinner tune: something upbeat yet quiet, meant to fade pleasantly into the background, definitely not suited for dancing. Camryn and Loki made do, adapting to the pace as best they could, creating some mix of holding each other close, swaying side to side, and a sloppy waltz, moving quite fast and appearing to be overgrown children. Soon sweat beaded on their foreheads and a particularly fast bit of spinning each other about caused them to break away dizzily, laughing and breathing heavily. Both leaned over a bit to catch their second wind, and when Loki straightened, Camryn draped herself over him, rising to her toes and jutting her mouth towards his.

“Kiss me,” she insisted, tugging on his collar.

“I would love to, darling, but no.” Loki stroked stray hands of hair away from her face. “I can’t do that to you.”

“Why not? Is it because of my reputation?” She looked about them with exaggerated movements, though Loki knew the dramatics were due to her drunkenness and not for show. After a lengthy peek into the windows, she shrugged and moved into him once more. “No one is around. No one’s watching us.”

“It’s not that,” Loki assured. “I just don’t want our first kiss to be had when you’re in this state. You won’t gain as much enjoyment from it, and I would feel like I was taking advantage.”

Before Camryn could harrumph, the ship began to turn slightly, causing her to stumble a bit in her already unsteady state. Loki held her waist so she didn’t fall to the ground, but her torso still lurched forward, and when she raised her head, a terrified look widened her features.

Loki’s stomach dropped, fearing she was hurt. “What’s wrong?”

Camryn spoke in a quiet, thin voice that gave Loki an idea of what she might have sounded like as a child.

“I just got the most awful feeling that this ship is doomed, and all of us with it.”

Before Loki could process the haunting prophecy, she cracked a sloppy grin and giggled once more.

“Let’s dance again.”

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed,” Loki scolded, and Camryn only pouted a moment before consenting to be led back to her stateroom.

Camryn’s accommodations were identical to Loki’s, save for the fact that the layout was mirrored, seeing as the two suites were on opposite sides of the hall. Everything was ornamented in rich reds and golds, with ornate carvings and designs in the interior at any place they could be: on the walls, on the trim, on the chairs and tables, on the fireplace, on the sconces. It was also decorated extensively, as if someone very wealthy had lived there for a long time. The door opened on a fully-furnished parlor capable of easily seating six, equipped with a card table, a comfortable sofa and chairs, and a writing desk. Loki led Camryn past this room and into the bedroom, which was no less lavish, and included another seating area, a handsome washbasin and dressing table, and a marvelous canopied bed. Loki was again struck with astonishment at how mortals had managed to create something as grand as the palace of Asgard, and on an ocean liner, no less.

Loki sat Camryn down on the small sofa in the bedroom and entered her wardrobe, flipping through her fashionable garments until he found a nightgown.

“Here.” He approached and held it out to her. “Can you change on your own, or do you need my help?”

“I can manage.” She took the dress and rose shakily to her feet with an unrestricted yawn. Loki sat out in the parlor until she had changed, and helped her into bed upon his return. Camryn was suddenly too tired to sit up, so he bid her to lay on her side with her back to him so he could take her hair down with gentle, soothing fingers, admiring its silken texture and gently massaging the tense muscles at the base of her skull. It was a moment Camryn would later reflect on as one she wished she were sober during, for it was the most intimate interaction of her life.

“Are you sure I don’t get a kiss?” she whined once her hair was free and Loki rose from the mattress. He felt warmth spread across his chest, and couldn’t resist dropping down and pressing his lips to her temple, her sweet, floral scent filling his nose.

“There,” he declared. “Something to tide you over until I can kiss you properly.”

Camryn sighed sweetly at that, and Loki chuckled as he draped an extra blanket over her body and put her hairpins and dinner gown away, sitting in one of the chairs by the bed to ensure she slept soundly before returning to his own rooms for the night.

***

In the wee hours of the morning, Loki was woken from sleep by insistent knocking on his front door. He jolted from bed, regretting that, though he retained his abilities in seidr, they were considerably dulled, a measure taken so that he couldn’t transport himself home before Odin approved it and so he couldn’t cause any true mischief on Midgard. His stunted abilities weren’t nearly enough to protect himself from an attacker, so he took the dagger he had carried from Asgard off of the bedside table and clutched it tightly as he went to see who could possibly be making such a fuss at that late hour, but tossed it aside when he discovered Camryn standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but her thin nightgown, blinking up at him with wide doe’s eyes.

“Camryn?” Loki inquired softly. “What are you doing here? Has someo-”

“Before you say anything, I’m not drunk anymore,” Camryn interrupted, and before Loki knew it, she had taken his face in her warm hands and brought it down to hers, pressing insistent and inexperienced lips to his. His body went rigid with shock for a moment, but just as he began to relax into her body and kiss her back, she broke away and retreated, face locked in a blank and entranced expression. Loki worried she had been possessed by some strange creature until she turned away to open her door, and peeked back at him under her hair with a shy smile. She bit her lip and averted her eyes once more as she entered her room, unaware that she had rendered a god rooted to the ground outside; stunned, dumbfounded, and utterly in love.


	5. April 11, 1912: Morning

Loki groaned and shifted once more, rubbing his sore back before returning his arms to their tightly crossed position. He was quickly learning one thing about mortals: they built their furniture much too small. The chair he was sitting in would be better suited to a child. His bed was an improvement on comfort, but he simply couldn’t go back to it and try to sleep. Not after Camryn kissed him.

Ever since she slid back into her stateroom like a summoned ghost completing her task and returning to the grave, he had been unable to sit still, his blood positively humming with a multitude of foreign emotions. He tried to pace to calm himself, but noticed after a time that his legs were trembling. Ashamed even though no one was there to witness it, he seated himself in a chair and crossed them firmly to stop their motion, running his thumb over his lips as if it would bring back the sensation of Camryn’s mouth against his, contemplating what her action meant with his thoughts running at a breakneck speed.

He eventually swore, the stateroom that once seemed large and luxurious seeming to suffocate him. He needed fresh air, and the air at sea was the most calming and would surely clear his mind. In a rush, he dressed for the day that had not yet come and made his way to the deck, where the sky was the deep purple that signaled dawn approaching. Drawing in a long breath, he stepped over to the railing and leaned onto it, casting his eyes upward to the last tenacious stars fighting for their time in the sky, which was so clear and expansive he seemed to be able to see the turn of the planet on its axis. The air was deathly still, the only sound coming from the lapping of waves against each other and against the ship, providing a lull that was frightful and comforting all at once.

The environment should have relaxed Loki and cleared his mind, but all he could think of was having Camryn there with him, and what it would be like if it was her hips he gripped instead of the rail. What was once an exploratory mission he assigned himself to pass the time during banishment had turned into an unbreakable attachment to Midgard. He began to dread the day he would be called to Asgard, and hated that he had no idea when to expect it.

He took one hand from the rail and splayed his fingers to relieve the tension that had gathered from gripping the bar so tightly, then ran it through his hair, tugging slightly on the ends. He tilted his head back and drew in a deep gulp of cold air, filling his lungs to the brim before letting it out in chuckles as he ducked his chin and pushed his hips backward, resting his head on the cool metal keeping him on the beautiful, magical ship that brought them together.

“Camryn Potts, what have you done to me?” he whispered to the wind, his voice high. “You have no idea of your power. You’ve rendered a god and a prince entirely powerless, and to the point where he would willingly kneel at your feet like a slave.”

Loki had come out with the intention of using the cool night air to confirm his thoughts, but instead spent the moments until dawn dreaming of Camryn’s smile and all he could do to put it there. Though, he supposed that those fantasies were confirmation enough.

When shy fingers of pink began to paint a gentle golden sky, causing the water all around to sparkle like the stars of the night had dropped into the sea, Loki realized that he couldn’t wait any longer to speak with Camryn about how he felt. He knew that she wouldn’t be awake at that hour of the morning, but he knew that he had to at least slip a note under her door and set a time to meet. His feelings were so urgent that it felt like his heart would beat right out of his chest.

But, it soon appeared, that relief was near, for the moment he rounded a corner to descend back inside, he found her already up and about, reclining with her feet up in a long chair, golden gossamer gown pooling around her legs and shimmering in the new sunlight. Some iced drink rested on the table next to her, and she wore a wide-brimmed yellow hat with a veil. Through the sheer fabric, however, Loki could still see her furrowed brow, widened eyes, and parted lips, her gaze focused intently on the ocean. If he looked close enough, he felt as if he could almost see projections of her thoughts on her irises.

Drawing a deep breath to stay his nerves, Loki approached Camryn and lowered himself into the chair next to hers. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat as she noticed him, for her thoughts had also been raging about what she had done the night before, wondering if she had been too bold and worrying that Loki didn’t reciprocate her feelings. When he appeared in her eyeline, for a moment she thought he was a vision from yet another one of the endless mental scenarios she created, detailing how he could react.

“How are you feeling?” Loki began, noticing the slight purple shadows under her eyes. “You had quite a bit to drink last night.”

Camryn toyed around with her lace gloves. “I’ve got a bit of a headache, but other than that, I’m much better. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Odinson.”

“And,” Loki swallowed, the bobbing of his Adam’s apple seeming to make Camryn’s heart move in the same path, “how much do you remember?”

“If this is about the kiss, Mr. Odinson, I remember it.” Camryn flipped her veil over the brim of her hat and regarded Loki with impossibly bright eyes that seemed to give him the universe. “And I don’t regret it.”

Loki deflated in relief and laid his palm over hers, running his index finger along the knobby lines of her thumb. “I don’t, either.”

“So…” Camryn inhaled deeply, switching the position of their hands so that both of hers gripped his. “I hate to be the one to ask this question, but what does that mean for us?”

“Well, I suppose it means what we both hope it means. Or, at least, what I think we both hope for.” Loki paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and the knowledge he gathered of Midgardian culture. “We entertain each other while we’re on this ship with the intention of courtship in our minds, and when we get to New York I’ll speak to your father and make the relationship official. Then, we’ll go from there, I suppose.”

“Why wait?” Camryn’s voice, once proper and almost timid, had suddenly turned frank and sure, and she fixed Loki with a loving expression that could inspire salvation into the hearts of the darkest sinners.

Loki’s breath caught in his throat, and all he could choke out was “Come again?”

“Why wait?” Camryn repeated. “We’re so close now, even without any official titles, and you’re already such an important, unremovable part of me. Whenever we get to shore and we have to start dealing with titles and rules, we’ll have to change our dynamic to please society and we’ll be pulled apart until we’re able to marry. I don’t want to wait that long to get as close to you as I can, and discover just how much my budding love for you can grow. So while we’re here, in the middle of the ocean where the world can’t be seen, let’s treat it like the world doesn’t exist, and-”

Loki cut her off by taking her face in his hands and kissing her firmly, holding her with such passion and tenderness that it brought tears to her eyes.

“I take it you agree with me, then, Mr. Odinson?” she gasped when he pulled away, giggling in spite of herself.

“Most certainly.” Loki dragged his thumb across her pink, swollen lips. “Though, if we are going to go through with this, you ought to dispense with the propriety and call me Loki.”

“Alright then, Loki.” Camryn savored the way his name felt on her tongue. “Then you ought to call me Camryn.”

“Alright then, Camryn,” Loki echoed, and with a girlish laugh, Camryn twirled her fingers into the hair at the base of his neck and drew him in for another kiss.

“Princess Camryn! Is that you?”

The pair broke apart at the call, and Loki’s blood ran cold at the sound of Mr. Grant’s voice. Camryn sprang from her chair and straightened her dress, and Loki hovered close enough over her shoulder to be inappropriate for an acquaintance, betraying their new status of togetherness to all that saw them. Mr. Grant’s eyes narrowed at the sight, but his smile remained unchanging.

“Mr. Grant, I haven’t been called that name since I was a child. I think I’ve outgrown it.” Camryn cleared her throat and mustered up a warm expression. “How do you do this morning?”

“I’m well. And you could never outgrow that pet name. It suits you too well.” Mr. Grant drew a few paces closer to the couple. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t see each other again yesterday, but I know we were both terribly busy.”

“I suppose that’s the life of a businessperson.” Camryn forced a chuckle.

“Well, what’s say we make it up. Will you join me for luncheon?”

Camryn’s heart sank, for she had been dreaming of an uninterrupted romantic day with Loki, but could think of no good reason to refuse. Even Loki, the God of Lies himself, was having difficulties, and while he would have gladly flogged Mr. Grant for no more than his lustful glances in Camryn’s direction, he understood that Camryn’s inheritance put her in a difficult position and that she had to maintain every business relationship she could.

“I would be delighted,” she finally replied. “But my attendance depends on a condition.”

“What would that be? Jewels? A designer gown? An estate?” Mr. Grant cracked a boastful grin.

“No, nothing like that.” Camryn glanced down at her gloves. “My condition is that Mr. Odinson may come along.”

“Oh?” Mr. Grant raised a brow and locked eyes with Loki, his expression menacing. Loki, however, was unfazed by his mortal intimidation tactics, and merely fixed him with a smug expression.

“Anything for my princess,” Mr. Grant continued at last, breaking eye contact with Loki and staring at Camryn with barely veiled hunger.

Loki sensed Camryn’s immense discomfort at the name and balled his hand into a fist, very much wishing that he could tie Mr. Grant down with his own intestines. Camryn merely smiled through it, however, the picture of professionalism.

“Please, Mr. Grant,” she giggled. “I’m no longer a child. I’m a woman in my own right now, so please, for all the affection you’ve carried for me throughout my life, treat me as such.”

Mr. Grant drew even closer and was inches away from whispering his next words directly into her ear.

“Whatever you say, Camryn.”

Loki’s remaining seidr was enough to cause the boat to jolt with a flick of his hand, and Camryn gratefully stumbled back into him. As he made a show of righting her, he gently squeezed her shoulders to remind her that the filthy Mr. Grant would never lay hands on her.

“The sea is being playful today, eh?” Mr. Grant straightened his coat. “But luncheon is a couple of hours off. What’s say we have a game of shuffleboard.”

“That sounds lovely, Mr. Grant, but I’m afraid I have to decline.” Camryn reached behind herself and took Loki’s hand. “I have something to attend to right now. Good day, Mr. Grant.”

Before Mr. Grant could reciprocate the goodbye, Camryn took off with Loki in tow, steering him back inside and down the hall toward her stateroom.

“It was clever to tell Mr. Grant a lie to get away,” Loki said once they arrived, leaning against the wall and tucking one foot behind the other rather gracefully. “Though isn’t it a bit scandalous for a courting couple to be alone in a room together?”

“I thought we were dispensing with propriety for the time being, and besides, you’ve been in here before. While I was changing, no less.” The corners of Camryn’s ever-red lips quirked up coyly. “But I wasn’t telling Mr. Grant a lie. I do have something to tend to.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a knock sounded on the door. Since Loki was closest, he opened it, and noticed with an almost lustful pride the scolding look the maid gave the unmarried couple when she wheeled in a tray packed with sweets.

“That’s quite an interesting breakfast spread,” Loki teased once they were alone again, coming up to stand behind Camryn as she overlooked what had been brought. Her hair had been loosely tied up under her hat, but a bit had come loose to rest on the curve of her neck. With chilly fingers, Loki brushed her baby-soft skin almost sensually before capturing the strand and tucking it back into place, his body mere millimeters away from hers. Camryn knew that she was the one to propose dispensing with proper courting rituals and diving right in with each other, but at the moment she wasn’t sure if her fluttering heart could take it.

“It’s not for me,” she eventually cleared her throat and declared, though her voice was an octave higher than her usual alto tone. “This has to do with what I used to get away from Mr. Grant.”

“And what is that, exactly?” Loki asked, moving slightly backwards to avoid being bumped by her elbows as she began to wrap the cakes up in napkins, watching her actions with bemused confusion.

“You’ll see.” Camryn gathered the sweets up in her arms and flashed him a wide grin. “Follow me.”

Loki was soon swept up in another one of Camryn’s unexplained journeys as she once again made her way back out to the deck, her long legs making for a quick stride that even Loki had to exert a bit of effort to keep up with. The other first class passengers glanced at her curiously, with her arms full of cakes, quite purposefully walking down the deck made for leisure. Some even flashed Loki a sympathetic look, as if sorry he had to deal with her, but he was proud that people so naturally thought they belonged to each other. Though, he was admittedly very confused about where she was going, as the deck seemed to be ending, and grew even more so when she started to descend stairs that led down to a third-class deck.

“Camryn?” he called after her, catching up at last. “You do know this goes to a third class deck?”

“I know exactly where I’m going,” she insisted, pushing on ahead until she was stopped by a uniformed crewmember. At the sight of him, her lips pulled into a sickly sweet smile but a blistering intensity shot out of her eyes, an expression Loki had never seen and one that, quite frankly, frightened even him.

“So we meet again,” she purred. If her eyes hadn’t gone harder still and the crewmember hadn’t shrunk backwards in obvious fear, Loki would’ve been angrily jealous.

“This is the third class deck, miss,” the crewmember informed, voice high and shaking. “I can’t let you through.”

“I think you can.” Camryn cocked a thick eyebrow. “After all, I’ve paid a handsome sum to be on this ship. And since people like you are so classist that you won’t allow those that didn’t pay more than your life’s savings for a ticket have decent living situations while on it, you’ll have to let me, a superior being to you according to your philosophy, explore every inch of the ship many would have died to be on. And-” she stepped closer to the crewmember, leaning right up to his ear. “If you don’t let me through, I’ll have to make good on my promise.”

The crewmember balked, and did nothing more than step aside. Camryn grinned in triumph, pushing past and gesturing for Loki to follow.

“Erm.” Loki coughed gently, and Camryn turned to him with the wide and bright eyes he was used to. “What was that about?”

“Oh, that.” Camryn giggled lightly. “I may or may not have threatened to kill that crewmember yesterday for being a classist arse when I was trying to board.”

Loki shook his head incredulously. “What, may I ask, did I just get myself into?”

Camryn smirked sweetly, swinging her hips. “The best mess of your life.”

WIth that, she took off again, cutting through the natural path that was made for her on the deck as the steerage passengers parted in her presence, every eye fixed on her, whispers of wonderment breaking the sudden quiet in the air, a few young hands reaching out to touch the expensive fabric of her gown but pulling away before they could get close enough. Camryn, as bashful and introverted as she was, seemed to be quite used to the attention, and flashed charming smiles to as many as she could before reaching the railing, where a weathered man held his pink-cheeked son up to see over it.

“Miss Potts!” the boy gasped in delight when he looked over his shoulder and discovered her, jumping down and into her arms. The sweets she carried would’ve been ruined had it not been for Loki quickly casting a simple spell to make them float for a split second so he could gather them into his arms, working with just enough speed so that no one would notice a thing was amiss. Camryn certainly didn’t, for she giggled and twirled the boy once, situating him on her hip even though he was likely too old to be held.

“Hello, Joshua!” she exclaimed, then turned to his father. “And hello again, Jacob. Are you well?”

“We are, Miss Potts.” Jacob began to blush, and eyed Loki a tad nervously. “Joshie really loves it on this ship.”

“Oh? Is that true, Joshua?” She turned to the boy, and he nodded excitedly.

“Mmhm! Daddy says that today the land will go away and it’ll be all ocean around us!”

“Well, that will be frightfully exciting, won’t it? It will be such an adventure!” Camryn squeezed the boy tightly, then turned so that she was facing Loki. “Joshua, I’d like to introduce you to someone. This is my very special friend, Mr. Odinson. Mr. Odinson, this is Joshua, and his wonderful father Jacob.”

“How do you do.” Loki politely shook Jacob’s hand, for he seemed a good person, but was still lost as to how on Earth Camryn made his acquaintance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Odinson.” Jacob turned to Joshua. “Joshie, why don’t you climb down from Miss Potts and shake this man’s hand?”

Joshua jumped down instantly and grasped Loki’s hand with one barely large enough to wrap around his fingers. “How do you do, sir?”

“I’m well, young Mr. Greene.” Loki couldn’t deny that the smiling child’s face warmed his heart. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Listen, Joshua.” Camryn knelt down behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve brought a present for you.”

Joshua’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”

“Mmhm!” Camryn took the bundle of sweets from Loki and opened them. “Sweets from the first class dining room. Some of the best cakes in the world.”

If Joshua’s mouth dropped open any more, his jaw would fall off. “All for me?”

“Yes.” Camryn re-wrapped the bundle and put it into his arms. “All for you.”

“Miss Potts, that’s too kind,” Jacob, insisted, cheeks positively ruddy. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Nonsense. Of course I should’ve! Those treats are so accessible to me that I get sick of them. It seems outright evil that a child shouldn’t get to experience some simple luxuries.” Camryn rose to her full height and approached Mr. Greene. “And I spoke to my father. He can definitely provide you employment. He’s having some communication with one of his managers right now, and I’m to take you in for a meeting when we make it to shore.”

“Oh, Miss Potts.” Jacob’s eyes welled with tears and his legs went so limp Loki feared he would collapse. “You’ve just saved our lives.”

“Please, Mr. Green. It’s my pleasure.” Camryn squeezed his hand.

“Why are you crying, Daddy?” Joshua, miffed he was being left out of the conversation, wrapped his arms around Jacob’s legs.

“Because Miss Potts is a very, very good person, Joshie,” Jacob replied.

“Yes she is!” Joshua bounced on his toes. “She’s just like a princess!”  
Loki had to admit that for a mortal, Joshua was quite precious.

“Oh, Joshua. You spoil me.” Camryn leaned down and gave the boy a kiss. “I’m afraid I have to leave for a luncheon engagement. I’m so sorry to leave so soon.”

“I won’t have you apologizing. You’ve done more than enough,” Jacob insisted. “No need for you to feel sorry for not giving us more time than we need.”

And so Camryn and Loki said their goodbyes and left the third class deck, the crewmember shrinking away as Camryn passed. Camryn had her arms wrapped tightly around Loki’s and had her head resting on his shoulder with a familiarity that stunned but didn’t upset either of them.

The pair eventually passed by the chairs they were sitting in before, and, upon finding them still vacant, made a silent decision to sit down again. The shape of the furniture, however, wasn’t optimal for closeness, so instead of reclining like one was meant to, they both perched on the edges, linking hands in their laps.

“I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first,” Loki began, “but the Greenes are lovely people. I am, however, very curious to know how a corporate heiress made such a close acquaintance with them.”

“Oh, yes. It really is a lovely story.” Camryn drew circles with her finger at the spot below Loki’s thumb. “When we were boarding yesterday, I was all alone with my massive amount of baggage. They noticed my struggle and offered to help. We got to talking, and I found out that they’re immigrating to America, meeting up with a wife and a little girl, but Jacob had no idea how he’d support them monetarily once they arrived. My father’s company has an endless amount of jobs, so I figured I’d be a positively nasty person if I didn’t offer to get him one.”

“You’re many things, Camryn,” Loki declared, still savoring the way her name felt on his lips, “but you’re certainly not a nasty person.”

The two chatted for a bit longer, gushing about Jacob and Joshua and casually debating issues of class. Being raised as a prince in a feudal society, Loki was a bit more closed-minded on the matter, but as Camryn discussed how high-class citizens despised people born in a lower caste but made it nearly impossible for them to ever change, he began to come around on her reasoning. They spoke without a lull until the luncheon bell rang, and the two immediately rose to join the migrating crowd, Camryn wrapping herself up against Loki once more. She had a contented smile on her face, but the moment they came in sight of the dining room, her expression turned sour.

“What’s wrong?” Loki asked softly, wondering if she was the type of mortal to get seasickness.

“Oh, nothing.” Camryn grimaced. “I’m just much less excited for this than I was to meet with the Greenes.”

“I agree.” Loki squeezed her hand protectively. He would’ve liked to grab a larger part of her body for more emphasis, but even if they did decide to dispense with a lot of propriety, that was a line he didn’t feel he could cross quite yet. “I get a bad feeling from that Mr. Grant.”

“Oh, he’s harmless.” Camryn waved her hand. “He’s just a bother. I feel obligated to him because of his relation to my father, but I’ve never particularly enjoyed his company.”

Loki took a deep breath to prevent himself from wrapping his arms around Camryn and using the weak seidr that remained in him to transport them off of the ship and somewhere far away from Mr. Grant. He worried that her obligation to upholding a relationship that wasn’t hers coulded her judgment and would someday put her in the way of danger. Loki feared she wouldn’t understand his godly intuition, though, and all he could do was hope his feelings were wrong and enter the dining room, where the snake himself was waiting.


End file.
